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Seen on a Day's Outing in Southern Arizona

F. C. Willard

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February 13, 1910, I spent with a hunting party on the San Pedro River near Fairbanks. My gun was a camera, and while looking for suitable shots I was imprest with the large number of birds seen, and particularly with the great variety. Following is a list of those observed during the day from the time we left Tombstone until our return. In some instances I append a few comments.

Mallard, Pintail and Green-winged Teal,-- a small flock of each. Great Blue Heron, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Cooper Hawk, Harris Hawk, Western Red-tailed Hawk, Swainson Hawk, Aplomado Falcon, Desert Sparrow Hawk, Gila Woodpecker, Baird Woodpecker, Red-shafted Flicker, Say Phoebe and Black Phoebe. A flock of over a hundred White-neckt Ravens alternatively perching in some cottonwoods and circling overhead. Western Meadowlark; a flock of from two to three thousand Brewer Blackbirds which covered several large cottonwoods and peach trees, and the ground under them. The trees were literally black with them. Goldfinch (subsp. ?), House Finch, and numerous sparrows of which I identified the following: Intermediate Sparrow, Western Lark Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Black-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow (subsp. ?), Abert Towhee, Canyon Towhee, Arizona Pyrrhuloxia and Arizona Cardinal; Audubon Warbler, Mockingbird, Crissal Thrasher, Cactus Wren, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren and Verdin. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet came close to us while we were lunching, its song and twitter first attracting my attention. Plumbeous Gnatcatcher, Western Robin and Mountain Bluebird, several of which were seen along the road and in the fields.

The feature of the day, however, was the securing of a male Texas Kingfisher (Ceryle americana septentrionalis). This bird was seen flying along an irrigating ditch close to the water, the white in its tail first attracting our attention. This is my first record and I believe the first for this Territory. * Most of the species mentioned were seen on the river but a few were seen in the vicinity of Tombstone only.

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